“The TikTok Ban and the Addiction We Don’t Talk About”

By Kerryann White

On the 18th of January 2025, the heavily adored app, known as TikTok, was temporarily banned in the United States. While the rest of the world continued to scroll uninterrupted, American users witnessed their beloved app suddenly go dark.  This brief blackout sent shockwaves across social media, and the sheer panic was felt all across the globe as people realised  this platform that has woven itself into our daily lives could be taken away as quickly as it was given. These entire circumstances made me consider: how strong is TikTok’s grip on us? Would it be a terrible thing if we lost access to it altogether? 

Woah, Where Did My Day Go?

I don’t have to question whether anyone else has planned to open TikTok for a short break and suddenly hours have passed, because I know for a fact that this is familiar to many of you. If I am being  completely transparent with you all, I have taken many of these “short” TikTok breaks in between writing this very article. The reason behind this hypnotising sorcery is that this app is engineered to keep us hooked – our ‘For You Page’ is quite literally a hyper-personalised collection of videos based off of your own behaviour in regard to posts. Every like, comment, and saved video collectively works together to refine your feed with extreme precision – even the mere seconds you spend lingering on a video impacts your next scroll. This element of TikTok is the very reason a vast percentage of society see it as more than just an app – it is their escape, their own digital opiate, and the thought of parting ways with it sends unease through the body.

Chasing the High 

Following this infinite scroll comes the illusion of endless entertainment, and every swipe will deliver something new and exciting.  With a design intended to keep users constantly engaged, a cycle of constant stimulation is created, and the more we indulge in this content, the more we become wired to crave the instant gratification that makes it much harder to focus on anything that doesn’t give you an immediate dopamine hit. 

 Unfortunately, TikTok isn’t just a source of innocent amusement, it influences our attention spans and emotional responses, potentially encouraging habits that lead to mental fatigue or declining mental well-being.  Data from the World Health Organisation found that one in seven adolescents ages 10 to 19 struggled with mental health challenges, a demographic that makes up a significant portion of TikTok’s audience. 

Ultimately, what comes of this is a generation conditioned to chase happiness in the form of quick, fragmented doses of dopamine rather than acquiring the ability to sit with boredom, engage in work, or find amusement in real-world, more mundane experiences. 

The Moral of the Story 

This article does not come with the intention of condemning those of us who use TikTok regularly, as I can’t ignore that it has the ability to give users a platform for self-expression, an unexpected area of information, as well as an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and become part of more niche communities. Building upon that, the platform has played a major role in spreading awareness and building communities in support of social issues. 

I am simply here to encourage you all to look inwards and ask yourselves: Am I consuming the content, or is the content consuming me? It is easy to dismiss our scrolling patterns as just a way to pass some time, yet when real life begins to feel dull and lacklustre compared to the digital world, and you start to feel panic at the thought of losing the app – perhaps it’s time to take a step back, reduce your screen time and reclaim your happiness.

Sources

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. n.d. “TikTok and Youth Mental Health.” Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Accessed February 12, 2025. https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/newsletters/tiktok-and-youth-mental-health/